When freight brokers lose uptime, they lose money. That’s the simple truth behind Insperia’s recent webinar, Dissecting the 7 Most Common IT Challenges Freight Brokers Face, hosted by Jake Persofsky, Founder of Insperia, and featuring Jade Rush, CEO of R&R Global Logistics.
The conversation was lively, practical, and real, with two industry leaders trading stories about what happens when technology breaks, and how to prevent it from breaking in the first place.
1. Downtime and Outages
As Jade shared, “You don’t have time for stuff to go wrong.” When port systems or TMS platforms crash, everything stops. Drivers wait, freight sits, and customers call. Brokers often scramble to find workarounds, but it’s never enough. True protection means proactive monitoring (stopping outages before they start) and having redundancy built in so freight keeps moving, even when systems don’t.
2. Weak Cybersecurity Practices
Freight data is gold for hackers, and too many brokerages leave it unguarded. Jade described how fraudsters changed carrier information within FMCSA records and nearly stole a $150,000 seafood shipment. Her takeaway: never rely solely on compliance software. Check records yourself. Trust but verify.
Jake added that managed IT plays a major role here, helping brokers lock down access, train staff, and protect both customer and carrier data.
3. Reactive Instead of Proactive IT
Many brokers only call IT when something breaks. Jade admitted that without managed IT, she often has to wait weeks or months for fixes through her TMS provider. Jake explained the difference: “With proactive IT, we’re watching performance in real time. We patch, test, and secure systems before the issues hit. You can’t get that in a break-fix model.”
4. Overcomplicated and Outdated Tech Stacks
The tech stack problem hits almost every brokerage as they grow. Jade confessed she once jumped too quickly into a new TMS system after an impressive demo, only to realize it made operations harder, not easier.
Her advice: “Buy for where you are today, not where you dream to be. Ask for referrals from other brokers, and make sure the technology fits the way your people actually work.”
5. Underestimating the Cost of DIY IT
Doing it yourself might seem cheaper, but the time loss is brutal. When Jade’s IP address blocked her from accessing her TMS while abroad, she spent four hours trying to fix it. “If I’d had managed IT,” she laughed, “I’d have just called Jake.”
Jake noted that those hidden costs, including lost time, missed loads, internal confusion, can drain far more than a monthly IT contract ever would.
6. No Plan for Scaling IT with Growth
As R&R Global Logistics grew from one person to six, Jade found herself limited by software that couldn’t grow with her. Features she needed weren’t available, and integrations took months to roll out. “You get to a point where you realize the tech that helped you start can’t help you scale,” she said.
Managed IT fills that gap, ensuring systems, users, and security expand together without constant breakdowns.
7. Weak or Nonexistent Disaster Recovery Plans
Disaster recovery isn’t something most small brokerages think about, until they lose data. Jade stores her files within her TMS, but Jake reminded attendees that true protection requires redundancy: cloud backups, multiple communication paths, and devices ready for emergencies. “If your computer fails at 2 a.m., freight still has to move,” he said.
Looking Ahead
Both Jake and Jade agreed on what’s coming next for freight tech: transparency. Customers want to know what systems their brokers use and how secure those systems are. As Jade put it, “You’re going to have to become the sales demo person for your own tech. Clients want to see how you protect their freight.”
The freight industry is evolving fast, and technology is no longer optional; it’s operational.
If your systems are unreliable, your data unsecured, or your IT stretched too thin, Insperia can help. Schedule a call today to discuss your IT challenges and see how we can help keep your freight moving.
